If I want to get the engine on boil for passing, I just use the autostick lever to kick it down a gear or so manually so the engine is already spun up and ready to run before I push the pedal any more.
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Can you elaborate on that? I never had auto-manual transmission like that before. What if I kick 2 gears down and it will be too low for current speed? Can I damage the engine/transmission? At what speeds can/should I kick down 2 gears? What about kicking down 1 gear?

Can you elaborate on that? I never had auto-manual transmission like that before. What if I kick 2 gears down and it will be too low for current speed? Can I damage the engine/transmission? At what speeds can/should I kick down 2 gears? What about kicking down 1 gear?

If you look at the shift lever, at the bottom of the channel there are what looks to be raised bumps (they're hard to see properly). That is supposed to be a "-" on the left and a "+" on the right. Slap the shifter to the left to engage manual shifting mode. If you do it when stopped, it puts you in 1. While driving, it will force a kickdown to the next lower gear (as said, holding it to the left will put it into the lowest possible gear for your current speed). Then, as your speed builds, slap the lever to the right to upshift. Hold it to the right to go back to automatic shifting ("D").

I really only use this kind of thing when I need to pass- I kick it down a gear before I start building speed and pulling out so I don't have to wait for the computer to figure out what I want to do. On a two lane road, seconds count. Then, once I've completed the maneuver, I let the car shift for itself again.

If you look at the shift lever, at the bottom of the channel there are what looks to be raised bumps (they're hard to see properly). That is supposed to be a "-" on the left and a "+" on the right. Slap the shifter to the left to engage manual shifting mode. If you do it when stopped, it puts you in 1. While driving, it will force a kickdown to the next lower gear (as said, holding it to the left will put it into the lowest possible gear for your current speed). Then, as your speed builds, slap the lever to the right to upshift. Hold it to the right to go back to automatic shifting ("D").

I really only use this kind of thing when I need to pass- I kick it down a gear before I start building speed and pulling out so I don't have to wait for the computer to figure out what I want to do. On a two lane road, seconds count. Then, once I've completed the maneuver, I let the car shift for itself again.

Do you find kicking down actually helpsin passing or it is more of a psychological thing to let you think you are in control?

So after you passed you hold it to the right to switch to D again? Because if you just don't do anything it will not go back to "D" itself, correct?

Do you find kicking down actually helpsin passing or it is more of a psychological thing to let you think you are in control?

So after you passed you hold it to the right to switch to D again? Because if you just don't do anything it will not go back to "D" itself, correct?

Second question first: correct. I have not checked to see if it will still upshift at redline without user intervention; some of these systems will do that, some won't. I just don't bother, myself.

For the first question, yes it helps. I've used this system in the GC and also in my wife's Acura TL. By downshifting the transmission before initiating the passing maneuver, the engine has been spun up into its powerband and is more responsive (for "spinner" engines, having the revs on tap helps quite a bit). By keeping it in gear longer, you maintain the revs and the power. I don't think it's worth bothering with in normal driving, but in those instances where you are going to want more power than normal and you don't want to wait for it, the manual shift mode is useful.

I took another WK2 test drive tonight of a Limited V6 and never felt the transmission was slow to respond. When I punched the gas it kicked down right away; I did this over & over to the great enjoyment of the salesman. Tried what Technosavant suggested too and it worked perfectly; holding the shifter left or right to drop to the lowest gear for passing or jump to drive afterward is quick and easy.